Why the cut scenes in OHMSS?

Andy007

Sorry if this is covered in previous posts..but can someone just give a bit of detail why the VHS version of OHMSS cut an entire sequence where Bond breaks into a bank's safe (Swiss bank I think). Why isn't it included in the TV channel repeats too? Also some other bits & pieces in this film were cut, but I assume they weren't included in the film's official final release.

Dirty Punker

They must be in the film's official final release but I have no idea. Censorship, maybe?

Thunderpussy

I think for many TV showings, some scenes were just cut to shorten the running time.

Andy007

For example there was a scene with Bond chasing a spy villain across rooftops. That didn't make it in the final release, probably due to length overrunning. Also Irma Bunt spotted Bond & Tracy choosing a wedding ring, which would explain how she knew where to shoot him. But the scene which was official but left out before the DVD started - was Bond, breaking into the bank's safe. Getting out just in the nick of time.

Higgins

The raw cut of OHMSS was almost 4 hours long.
It‘s still a very long movie, particularly when shown on TV.

Like others have said, they had to trim out as much fat as possible to bring is closer to 2 hours.
So every scene, which could be explained in the storyline and was not absolutely critical had to go.

Additionally, the safe opening scene is pretty slow and long and does not really contribute much to the story.

However I love to see it because it was not part of the german VHS and DVDs, to watch it I had to buy a Limited UK Edition ( and that was difficult in an age without internet and without ebay consequently).

Joshua

Is the unedited version available to buy?

EDIT. of course I mean uncut with the scenes mentioned here still in the film

Sir Miles

Andy007 wrote:

For example there was a scene with Bond chasing a spy villain across rooftops. That didn't make it in the final release, probably due to length overrunning. Also Irma Bunt spotted Bond & Tracy choosing a wedding ring, which would explain how she knew where to shoot him. But the scene which was official but left out before the DVD started - was Bond, breaking into the bank's safe. Getting out just in the nick of time.

I think there are only ‘stills’ left from the rooftop chase.

There are also a couple of extra scenes with Campbell at the cable cars that were reinstated for the dvd release...

The bank safe-breaking scene is generally shown on tv now.

I’d still love to see the original 4 hour rough cut though

superado

Joshua wrote:

Is the unedited version available to buy?

EDIT. of course I mean uncut with the scenes mentioned here still in the film

Joshua, according to Charles Helfenstein’s book, “The Making of on Her Majesty's Secret Service” I don’t think there are any finished footage of those cut scenes involving the Blofeld operative posing as an assistant in the College of Arms. If there does exist finished footage that’s polished with audio and editing, I wish EON would consider an uncut edition; I would love a four-hour version!

With that said, I sometimes speed up the safe cracking scene. I suppose at that time it was considered a cool thing as basically the only Bond gadget in the whole film...imagine, a device that can make photostatic copies of a document in under an hour!

Barbel

The music for the safecracking scene was unavailable for many years. It was not included on the original release of the soundtrack in 1969 (when I bought the LP). A faithful cover version was recorded by Nic Raine & the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in 1999, and has been re-released on various compilations since. It wasn't till the 2003 extended remastered edition of the OST that we could hear John Barry's original (slightly longer).

Higgins

That's interesting, Barbel.

Are there any further info, where Barry's original suddenly "reappeared"?

Barbel

Lukas Kendall was in charge of the remastering. See this interview with him: http://jamesbondradio.com/the-music-of-bond-an-interview-with-producer-lukas-kendall/

Also https://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/47015/missing-cues-from-ohmss-soundtrack/
https://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/34095/listening-to-my-new-cds/

It's frustrating that he could have done more but wasn't allowed to.

Higgins

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Miles Messervy

I never knew the uncut version of OHMSS was nearly 4 hours! Wow. Would love to see that!

Bond007Fan

Interestingly enough, the film was tailored by British censors before its initial UK release. During the dinner party sequence, the phrase "in my shoulder" was added to Bond's line "I feel a slight stiffness coming on...", badly ruining the sexual joke.

Dirty Punker

I have the mental age of a six year old so that made it even funnier for me ) )

brenbilbao

I’m sure I saw the safe- cracking scene and Bond idly flicks through a Playboy magazine. He admires a centrefold girl and then suddenly decides to tear it out and put in his jacket pocket, presumably to enjoy at a later date! Can anyone confirm this, as I’ve never seen the sequence since, but I did not imagine it, I’m positive? The The thought of Bond drooling over a pornographic photo is somewhat disturbing.

Higgins

The Blu Ray shows Bond admiring the centrefold and later having the ripped out paper in his hands.

Not sure if an a 50 year old centrefold can be classified as being pornographic but it matches the playboy image that Bond had at that time.

I am sure that the producers should have more considered the hurt feelings of the upcoming #metoo movement which was almost imminent around the corner in 1969.

Number24

I've never seen a version of OHMSS without the Playboy Magazine and the centerfold. so It's been cencured in other regions?

Sir Miles

Number24 wrote:

I've never seen a version of OHMSS without the Playboy Magazine and the centerfold. so It's been cencured in other regions?

It’s more likely that it was cut for time than actual censorship...although it’s always been shown when I’ve watched it on tv...and I’ve seen OHMSS a lot

caractacus potts

brenbilbao wrote:

I’m sure I saw the safe- cracking scene and Bond idly flicks through a Playboy magazine. He admires a centrefold girl and then suddenly decides to tear it out and put in his jacket pocket, presumably to enjoy at a later date! Can anyone confirm this, as I’ve never seen the sequence since, but I did not imagine it, I’m positive? The The thought of Bond drooling over a pornographic photo is somewhat disturbing.

The safecracking scene was definitely in the film the first time I saw it on television, sometime circa 1978. Complete with Playboy centrefold, which Bond swipes and admires as he walks out of the building.

Fleming stories had been published in Playboy earlier in the 1960s (see here), and I think there had already been articles hyping the films and photospreads of some of the actresses. Playboy had helped promote the Bond franchise, so this scene was returning the favour.
The character James Bond was pretty much the embodiment of the Hugh Hefner endorsed lifestyle for swingin' bachelors!

I don't think Playboy ever really qualified as pornography, with maybe a dozen pages of airbrushed cheesecake photography per issue. The magazine was mostly always advertising and lifestyle articles, with interviews, hifi reviews and great cartoons: Jack Cole, Harvey Kurtzman and Will Elder, and Gahan Wilson were all regulary published in Playboy.